Manchester United have signed Netherlands forward, Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna in a £35.7m transfer deal.
Zirkzee is Utd’s first senior signing of the transfer window following the decision to keep Erik Ten Hag in charge on a new two-year contract.
Following negotiations, Utd agreed a £35.7m transfer deal with Bologna spread out in payments across three years for the 23 year-old, who scored 12 goals and created six assists in 37 appearances for the Italian Serie A club last season.
Bayern Munich though will receive 40% of the fee due to a sell-on clause inserted into his move to Bologna in August 2022, with Zirkzee having played for Bayern between 2019-22 during which he had loan stints at Parma and Anderlecht.
Zirkzee has signed a five-year contract until June 2029 with Utd holding a club-option to extend his contract by a further 12 months until June 2030.
Addressing his decision to join Utd, Zirkzee commented: “Having had discussions with the manager and the leaders of the club I know how exciting the future is going to be here and I cannot wait to play my part in achieving success for Manchester United.
“I am a player who has always dedicated everything to winning; I’m ready for this next challenge, to go to another level in my career and win more trophies.
“It is a privilege to join such an iconic club. I have to take a short break now after being with the national team, but I’ll be coming back ready to make an impact straight away.”
Utd’s Sporting Director, Dan Ashworth added: “Securing a forward to enhance our already strong group of attacking players was a key aim for this summer. We are delighted that we’ve managed to sign a player of Joshua’s calibre this early in the transfer window.
“Joshua is an outstanding talent who is ready to make an impact for Manchester United. His ability and desire to grow into a world-class player means that he will be a great addition to the squad that we are building for the exciting season ahead and beyond.
“Having already achieved a significant amount in his career, we will provide Joshua with the perfect platform to reach the next level under the guidance and support of Erik ten Hag and the coaching staff. We look forward to seeing Joshua thrive at Old Trafford over the coming years.”
Zirkzee could make his competitive debut for Utd against Manchester City in the FA Community Shield on Saturday 10 August at 3pm BST at Wembley Stadium, London, live on ITV1 in the UK.
The 23 year-old represents Netherlands and only earned the first of his two international caps in a 2-1 Quarter-Final win over Turkey at this summer’s UEFA Euro 2024, having only been called up days before the tournament began due to injuries to Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopminers.